Vladislav Grigoriev18:25, 24.01.26

According to Schröder, Germany today talks too much about military capabilities.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder stated that there’s no need to demonize Russia . He also advocated for resuming energy cooperation with Russia. He wrote this in his column for  the Berliner Zeitung .

According to Schröder, Germany today talks too much about military capabilities, but should instead focus on its “capacity for peace.” He emphasized that he will continue to insist that Berlin needs to resume energy cooperation with Moscow.

The former German chancellor added that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a violation of international law and human rights. However, he stopped short of directly accusing Moscow and emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution. Moreover, he asserted that Russia is not Germany’s eternal enemy.

“I also oppose the demonization of Russia as an eternal enemy. Russia is not a country of barbarians, but a country with a rich culture and diverse historical ties to Germany. The ‘German shame’ lies in the fact that this country was brutally invaded by German soldiers during two world wars. Therefore, we have a special obligation to work towards achieving peace with Russia and Ukraine,” Schröder emphasized.

Let us recall that Schröder served as Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. After leaving his post as head of government, he worked for some time in Russian energy companies.

(c)UNIAN 2025